Washington Pass Observation Site - Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

It was after dark when we turned off of Washington Route 20, the North Cascades Scenic Highway, at mile marker 162.3 and onto NF 500. The half-mile paved forest service road ends at a parking lot with spaces for over 50 vehicles, including buses and RVs. Vault toilets are also provided. 

The trail to the observation site leaves from the eastern end of the parking lot. Taking the right fork, the Washington Pass Trail #585 is an ADA-accesssible, paved trail of about 500 feet that leads to a large, fenced rectangular rock ledge of about 20 feet by 30 feet. 

The ledge is the Washington Pass Observation Site. It is fairly smooth, but not level as it angles down to the southwest. Even with a nearly full moon rising, a flashlight was essential to seeing and avoiding dips or rises that could twist an ankle or even cause a fall along the trail and especially on the ledge. The trail continues from the northern corner of the ledge back to the parking lot for a ¼-mile loop, but we chose to walk back the way we came and avoid the stairs on the loop portion in the dark. We stopped on our September 2022 visit to the North Cascades National Park.

Kangaroo Ridge (8183')

Early Winters Spires (7807') and Liberty Bell Mountain

A closer view of the Liberty Bell Group

The moon was just rising over Kangaroo Ridge

Another view of Kangaroo Ridge

There is no parking or other fee at Washington Pass Observation Site.

The Washington Pass Observation Site webpage is https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recarea/?recid=59493.

Rainy Pass Trailhead - Pacific Crest Trail - Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

When researching our September 2022 visit to North Cascades National Park, we noticed that the Rainy Lake Trail trailhead was near where the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) crossed Washington Route 20, the North Cascades Scenic Highway. When we arrived at the turnoff for Rainy Lake, we noticed the PCT signs. After we finished our Rainy Lake hike, we strolled south on the PCT for a few hundred feet before turning around and returning to the trailhead.

PCT trail marker in lieu of a blaze

The PCT disappears into the woods

View north of an unnamed peak (7004' 1.9 miles)

View south of the unnamed mountains (6698' 1.2 miles) along the south end of Rainy Lake

A recreation pass is required for parking at the Rainy Pass trailhead. A five-dollar per vehicle per day Northwest Forest Pass can be purchased from a self-pay station provided at the trailhead. Any of the America the Beautiful passes may be used in lieu of payment. 

The National Forest Service website for the PCT is https://www.fs.usda.gov/pct.

Rainy Lake Trail #310 - Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

While planning our September 2022 visit to North Cascades National Park, we searched for easy hikes in the North Cascades area and the Rainy Lake Trail popped up near the top of the list. This is an ADA-compliant paved trail of 1.8 miles round trip in an out-and-back configuration. By my count, there are seven sturdy benches scattered along the 4800-foot elevation trail. While not in the park, this trail provided us with an opportunity to stretch our legs as we drove east to Winthrop.

The Rainy Lake Trail #310 trailhead and parking are located at mile marker 157.6 on the North Cascades Scenic Highway, also known as Washington Route 20. This is about 18.5 miles east of North Cascades National Park and Ross Lake National Recreation Area via the scenic highway. However, the road roughly parallels the park boundary and is less than two miles from the park at the Rainy Pass Picnic Area.

Trail specific information at the trailhead kiosk

Crossing the driveway to the trail

Rainy Lake Trail to the left

Typical trail conditions

Englemann Spruce

Mountain Hemlock

The only sunny part of the trail

Back into the forest

The bridge handrails have taken a treefall

Mossy Lichens

Second bridge

Stream that drains Lake Ann

Glimpse of Whistler Mountain (7790' 1.3 miles)

Trail reopened after a tree fell

Snow creep - not entirely resisting the downslope force of the snowpack

Pacific Silver Fir

Another bench

Ferns carpet the forest

End of the trail

An unnamed peak towers over the lake

Rainy Lake is a glacial cirque

Remnants of last winter's snow

Moraine dams up the lake

Another look at the bowl that nearly encircles the lake

The clear water suggests the lake is filled with snowmelt and not glacier fed

A last look

A recreation pass is required for parking. A five-dollar per vehicle per day Northwest Forest Pass can be purchased from a self-pay station provided at the trailhead. Any of the America the Beautiful passes may be used in lieu of payment. 

The forest webpage for Rainy Lake is https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=59385.

Max Patch Summit to Lemon Gap - Appalachian Trail

In early May 2019, we resumed our short-segment hiking of the Appalachian Trail. On this day, we would hike the 5.4-mile distance from the summit of Max Patch to Lemon Gap. The entire route is in North Carolina except for Lemon Gap itself being on the Tennessee-North Carolina border. The trail descends 1079 feet (4629' at Max Patch to 3550' at Lemon Gap) yielding an easy downgrade of less than 4%. 

Topographic map with GPS route

Elevation profile

View from the summit of Max Patch

Another view from the summit

One more view from the summit

Trail junction to Max Patch parking lot ½ mile left

Entering the woods

Crossing a drainage

Typical trail conditions

The fence is obviously meant to keep hikers out of the spring

Looking back at Max Patch

Yellow Trillium (Trillium luteum)

Junction with the Buckeye Ridge Trail

The "Green Tunnel" isn't quite green yet

Re-entering the green tunnel

This stile keeps horses on the bridle trail and off the AT

Crossing the horse trail

Another stile completes the exclusion

Stream crossing

The stream formed a second route across the trail...

...and muddied the trail beyond

Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum)

Switchback stairs and another hiker

Wake Robin or Red Trillium (Trillium erectum)

Side path to the Roaring Fork Shelter

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

A White Trillium fading to pink

Open forest

A trillium covered hillside

Back in the Green Tunnel

Crossing another stream

A pretty, little stream

Timber stairs

A stream crossing worthy of log bridge #1

Yes, this is the trail

Sidehill climbing

A switchback on the trail

One of the noisiest streams we've encountered today

Log bridge #2

Switchback after crossing a stream

Rock hopping

Sit and rest a spell

Another trillium explosion of color

I wonder why the bark was sanded off for this double blaze

One more stream crossing

Waterbar-style stream crossing

More trillium

Rock hopping crossing

A tangle of roots

A stepover crossing

Climbing away from the stream

Bowman's Root (Porteranthus trifoliatus)

The AT on the opposite side of a ravine

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Log bridge #3

Log bridge #4

Log bridge #5

Timber and rock stairs mark another stream crossing

Typical sidehill trail

The end is in sight

Lemon Gap

Entry to Pisgah National Forest is free.

The North Carolina National Forests webpage is https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/nfsnc/home.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail website is https://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy website is https://appalachiantrail.org/.